Can Samardzija be trusted every 5th day?

The latest from Jeff Samardzija is that he wants a chance to start. Hmmmm, really Jeff? Pardon me for not having total confidence in you. You haven't exactly lived up to that ridiculous $2.5MM signing bonus the Cubs gave you in 2007.

Spring training is all about proving yourself and the Cubs have a ton of money invested in Samardzija. I hope he finds his groove and proves the critics wrong, but he's been a model of inconsistency since making his MLB debut in 2008. Remember that feeling in the pit of your stomach you always got when Bob Howry came in for some middle relief duty? That's the same feeling I get when Samardzija takes the mound. You just never know what's going to happen. I can't imagine feeling that for 5+ innings (if he can last that long).

Samardzija made two starts in 2009. The first one came on August 12 when he gave up 7 runs to the Phillies and didn't make it out of the 3rd inning. He faired a little bit better on September 23 and lasted 5 innings on 3 earned runs against the Brewers, but he still surrendered 2 home runs.

He's only 25 years old and obviously has a ton of potential. My biggest worry is that the Cubs will feel the pressure to rush him into a starting role because of all the hype surrounding him. He needs to earn his spot.

Ricketts Family Priority #1: Rip Off the Fans

Well, it looks like the Ricketts are making a great first impression on the North Side. This "Master Card First Chance Pre Sale" scheme is borderline criminal if you ask me. Starting on Monday Feb 15, fans have had the chance to purchase tickets to all home games via cubs.com before they go on sale to the general public on Feb. 19. The catch? Nothing really, just a small 20% premium added to the face-value of each ticket. Are you kidding me?!?! Can they really justify calling this a "pre-sale?" I'd say it's blatantly taking advantage of supply and demand. Gee, do you want to kick my dog while you're at it? The real stab in the back comes with the announcement that ticket prices for 2010 have increased by 10%.

C'mon, this is completely ridiculous. Taking in a game at Wrigley Field shouldn't cost a week's salary. It's coming to the point where the average middle class family isn't going to be able to afford four tickets to a Saturday afternoon game. The only people filling the seats will be business clients, celebrities, and upper class bigwigs who could care less about the game, leave in the 5th inning, and pay $9.50 for those margaritas in the plastic cups.

I can't imagine being a little kid right now and dreaming of visiting the friendly confines...

Son: Daddy, I really want to go to Wrigley Field this year. I want to see all my heroes. Can we please go to a game?
 
Dad: Sure son, I'd love to take you. Let me call my bank and see if I can take out a Home Equity Line of Credit so I can afford some seats.

I'm not naive enough to think that the Cubs aren't going to try to generate as much revenue as possible, but I feel like they're doing something horribly wrong in exploiting the loyalty of their fans to make an extra buck.

There Goes Johnny

I am completely baffled as to why the Cubs have not pursued Johnny Damon this offseason. The rumor mill was swirling in December and many sites said the Cubs were "very interested," but nothing really materialized past that. Is it against Jim Hendry's philosophy to have a proven winner on the team? Do we not want a guy who fulfills every hole that Jim Hendry has been trying to plug this offseason? He can play the outfield, he bats lefty, and he gets on base. Oh, and he also does that one thing that Alfonso Soriano was supposed to do...he bats leadoff!!!

Yeah sure, I get the fact that Damon is 4 years older than both Xavier Nady and Marlon Byrd, but you can't deny Damon's durability. He's played in at least 141 games in each of his 14 full seasons in the bigs. In 2008-2009 alone he played in 131 more games than Nady did. Clearly age is not a factor here. Nady has also had an unprecedented two Tommy John surgeries. Is Hendry hoping we get Nady on the cheap because he won't be able to meet the extra $2 million of incentives built into his contract? If Nady plays half the season Hendry should consider himself lucky.

The rumors are that Damon is seeking roughly $7MM per year, while the Cubs decided Byrd was worth 3 years $15MM. Byrd has been a utility man his entire career before his break out year last year, and according to baseball-reference has made just over 6MM total in his 6 year career. Basically, he's going to almost double that in 2010 alone thanks to his lofty new Cubs' contract! You're telling me the Cubs can't squeeze another $2MM out of the Ricketts Family to land a guy like Johnny Damon but we're going to take a multi-million dollar contract flier on a guy who has only proven himself in one season?

Maybe Hendry is going with "quantity over quality" by signing two guys instead of one, but if I'm choosing between a guy with two Tommy John surgeries and a guy who has two World Series rings I'm taking the rings.